Avian influenza (bird flu) mainly affects birds. It can also affect humans and other mammals.

Bird flu is a notifiable animal disease. If you suspect any type of bird flu you must report it immediately by calling the Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301. Failure to do so is an offence.

If you keep poultry, you should keep a close watch on them for signs of disease, and maintain good biosecurity at all times. If you have any concerns about the health of your poultry, seek prompt advice from your vet.

You should register your poultry so we can contact you during an outbreak. This is a legal requirement if you have 50 or more birds.

Latest situation

From 18 January 2018, an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone applies to everyone who keeps poultry or captive birds in England. From 25 January 2018 there’s a similar Prevention Zone in Wales. If you keep poultry or birds, you must follow our detailed requirements on strict biosecurity, whether you have commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard flock.

We have taken these measures because bird flu has now been found in wild birds in this country. Bird flu is also present in Europe, and wild bird migration brings birds to the UK from areas where we know highly pathogenic bird flu is present. We keep our disease control measures under review based on the latest scientific evidence and veterinary advice.

Sign up to our Alerts Service to keep up to date with the latest news.

We continue to regard the risk of bird flu occurring in poultry in the UK as low, but only provided keepers maintain a high standard of biosecurity. We publish summaries of animal disease risks (including issues around bird flu) in our veterinary outbreak assessments.

Prevention Zone

This information tells you what you must do if you keep birds in England.

If you keep poultry you must, by law, follow specific disease prevention measures. These apply to all keepers of birds, regardless of flock size, or if your birds are pets. These are designed to reduce the risk of infection from wild birds.

If you keep birds then you can continue to allow your birds outdoors into fenced areas, but only if these areas meet certain conditions including:

you have made the areas unattractive to wild birds, for example by netting ponds, and by removing wild bird food sources

you have taken action to reduce any existing contamination, such as cleansing and disinfecting concrete areas, and fencing off wet or boggy areas

you have assessed the risk of birds coming into contact with wild birds or contamination from them

If you keep more than 500 birds, you must take some extra biosecurity measures. They include identifying clearly defined areas where access by non-essential people and vehicles is restricted, and cleaning and disinfecting vehicles, equipment and footwear.

Biosecurity advice

If you keep poultry or other captive birds, you must take action to reduce the risk of disease in your flock by following government advice on biosecurity.

Good biosecurity improves the overall health and productivity of your flock by helping keep out poultry diseases such as avian influenza and limiting the spread of disease in an outbreak.

This applies just as much if you only have a few birds as pets, or if you have a large commercial flock. An outbreak of bird flu in back garden chickens results in the same restrictions on movement of birds. It has the same impact on farmers and trade in poultry as an outbreak on a commercial farm.

To ensure good biosecurity, all poultry keepers should:

minimise movement in and out of bird enclosures

clean footwear before and after visiting birds, using a Defra approved disinfectant at entrances and exits

clean and disinfect vehicles and equipment that have come into contact with poultry

keep areas where birds live clean and tidy, and regularly disinfect hard surfaces such as paths and walkways

humanely control rats and mice

place birds’ food and water in fully enclosed areas protected from wild birds, and remove any spilled feed regularly

Report signs of disease

You must keep a close watch on your birds for any signs of disease, and must seek prompt advice from your vet if you have any concerns. If you suspect any type of avian influenza you must report it immediately by calling the Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301. Failure to do so is an offence.

Backyard flocks

Simple advice for people keeping just a few birds is available in this poster. If you keep poultry, print this and keep it handy, or put a copy on your noticeboard:

Pigeons or birds of prey

You can exercise, train and race pigeons or fly birds of prey, but you should try to prevent them from making direct contact with wildfowl. Keep a close watch on the health of your birds.

Game birds and shoots

If you’re involved with gamebirds you should read the advice published on the Game Farmers Association website (PDF). You need to maintain good biosecurity at your premises. This advice has been put together by seven leading countryside and shooting organisations (BASC, CA, CLA, GFA, GWCT, NGO and SGA) and endorsed by Defra, the Scottish and Welsh Governments and DAERA in Northern Ireland.

Once game birds have been released they are classified as wild birds. The person who released the game birds is no longer classed as the ‘keeper’ of the birds.

You can continue to feed and water released game birds but you should make reasonable efforts to minimise the chance of other wild birds accessing their feed and water, for example by placing it under cover. You should use commercial feed and fresh or treated water.

About avian influenza

How to spot avian influenza

There are 2 types of avian influenza.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is the more serious type. It is often fatal in birds. The main clinical signs of HPAI in birds are:

Clinical signs can vary between species of bird and some species (for example ducks and geese) may show minimal clinical signs.

Low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) is usually less serious. It can cause mild breathing problems, but affected birds will not always show clear signs of infection.

The severity of LPAI depends on the type of bird and whether it has any other illnesses.

Anyone who keeps poultry must keep a close watch on them for any signs of disease, and must seek prompt advice from their vet if they have any concerns.

How avian influenza is spread

The disease spreads from bird to bird by direct contact or through contaminated body fluids and faeces. It can also be spread by contaminated feed and water or by dirty vehicles, clothing and footwear.

The avian influenza virus changes frequently, creating new strains, and there is a constant risk that one of the new strains may spread easily among people. But there is no evidence that any recent strain of avian influenza has been able to spread directly between people.

Avian influenza isn’t an airborne disease.

Advice for the public

Public health

Public Health England advise the risk to public health from the H5N8 and H5N6 strains of bird flu is very low. Some strains of avian influenza can pass to humans, but this is very rare. It usually requires very close contact between the human and infected birds.

Movement controls and licences

Where bird flu is confirmed, we put in place restrictions on movements of birds in the area around the infected premises – for highly pathogenic avian influenza they are called Protection Zones and Surveillance Zones.

There are no movement restrictions in place at the moment. Details of older cases are summarised further down this page.

Meat from poultry within a Protection Zone in England

Food business operators have to follow some specific rules for any meat produced from poultry or farmed game birds originating in a Protection Zone. Meat from poultry originating outside the Protection Zone is unaffected. These rules remain in force for any recent Protection Zones. Details are now available on the National Archives website.

In the case of an outbreak of avian flu, all markets, fairs, shows, exhibitions or other gatherings of birds (regardless of species) are banned within Protection and Surveillance Zones declared within England.

Compensation

You may be entitled to compensation if healthy poultry are killed under orders from government or APHA in the event of a disease outbreak. Owners are not entitled to compensation solely as a result of the requirements of a Prevention Zone or for other consequential losses.

Trade, import and export issues

There is no reason why trade should be affected following the findings of bird flu in wild birds in January 2018. This is in line with the rules of the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE). There have been no reports of the virus in commercial birds, and the UK has taken swift, precautionary action to help to prevent this happening.

Exports and EU trade

As soon as disease is confirmed, we put in place measures in accordance with Council Directive 2005/94/EC. For highly pathogenic avian influenza, a Protection Zone of 3 km and Surveillance Zone of 10 km are declared around all infected premises containing poultry. No trade is allowed from the affected premises as soon as they are put under restriction. We trace all recent movements from the infected premises.

On 13 September 2017 the Government Chief Vet announced that the UK has met international requirements to declare itself free from avian influenza.

Imports from the EU

You can’t import poultry and poultry products into the UK from within disease control zones imposed around confirmed cases of avian flu within other EU countries.

EU trade relies on strict certification for movement of live poultry, day old chicks and hatching eggs. Products such as poultry meat, table eggs and poultry products are not subject to certification within the EU.

Older cases of avian flu

A number of cases of avian influenza were confirmed between December 2016 and June 2017. The H5N8 strain of avian influenza was confirmed at farms in Suffolk, Lancashire and Lincolnshire, and in backyard flocks in Lancashire, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Northumberland, and Carmarthenshire. Full details of these cases are now available on the National Archives website. The same strain of the virus was also found in wild birds in England, Scotland and Wales.

We have published two reports setting out our investigations into these cases, covering December 2016 to March 2017, and April to May 2017 - these are known as epidemiological reports.

A case of H7N7 avian flu was confirmed near Preston, Lancashire in July 2015. A low severity case of H7N7 was confirmed in February 2015 in chickens at a farm in Hampshire. A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 was confirmed in November 2014 in ducks on premises in East Yorkshire. We have published reports about the investigations we carried out. Earlier papers about these cases are available on the National Archives website.

Penalties for offences

25 January 2018
Prevention Zone now also in force in Wales; we've added a link.

22 January 2018
Edited the section, trade, import and export issues: there is no reason why trade should be affected following the findings of bird flu in wild birds in January 2018.

18 January 2018
Bird keepers in the whole of England are now required to take specific precautions because a Prevention Zone has now been put in place across the country.

15 January 2018
Prevention Zone section updated with a link to the Rapid Risk Assessment on the H5N6 cases in wild birds in Dorset.

12 January 2018
We have declared a Prevention Zone in areas of South Dorset - imposing requirements on all bird keepers - after bird flu has been found in wild birds in that area.

14 November 2017
Routine editorial update to reflect the current risk of bird flu as winter approaches, also specific advice for keepers of gamebirds.

13 September 2017
Updated because the UK has declared itself officially free from highly pathogenic avian influenza. We have also removed legal documents specifically related to the outbreak December 2016 and June 2017.

5 June 2017
Routine update of information about meat from poultry within a Protection Zone.

3 June 2017
Updated with information about confirmed case near Diss, South Norfolk

29 May 2017
Updated to reflect changes in relation to the 2 cases near Thornton, Wyre, Lancashire: in each case the 3km PZ has been merged with the 10km SZ. We've also updated the biosecurity advice document.

17 May 2017
Updated version of the backyard flocks leaflet published.

16 May 2017
Updated advice leaflet for keepers of small 'backyard flocks'.

15 May 2017
Updated with details of the new Prevention Zone and bird gathering rules from 15 May 2017.

11 May 2017
Updated with plans to lift the Prevention Zone, and ban on gatherings, across England from 15 May, except in certain areas of Lancashire and Cumbria (where controls will remain).

9 May 2017
Routine update of information about meat from poultry within a Protection Zone.

8 May 2017
Routine update of information about meat from poultry within a Protection Zone.

6 May 2017
Updated with information about a further confirmed case in a backyard flock of poultry near Thornton, Wyre, Lancashire.

4 May 2017
Updated with information about confirmed case near Thornton, Wyre, Lancashire.

28 April 2017
Updated following the announcement that the Prevention Zone, and the ban on poultry gatherings, will be lifted on 15 May 2017.

13 April 2017
We have updated the information on the rules from 13 April 2017.

10 April 2017
The Prevention Zone rules will change from 13 April 2017: keepers will no longer be required to house poultry or have total range netting in place in Higher Risk Areas of England, but they will continue to be required to follow our detailed requirements on strict biosecurity.

7 April 2017
Updated to add a link to advice on the welfare of housed birds, in the 'latest' section.

4 April 2017
Routine update of information about meat from poultry within a Protection Zone.

29 March 2017
Final Surveillance Zone restrictions removed in the case near Haltwhistle, Northumberland. Prevention Zone restrictions remain in force across GB.

20 March 2017
Restrictions have been removed from around a premises near Redgrave, mid-Suffolk, and the Protection Zone has been merged with the Surveillance Zone for the case near Haltwhistle, Northumberland.

16 March 2017
Final Surveillance Zone restrictions removed in the case near Pilling, Wyre, Lancashire.

14 March 2017
The 3km Protection Zone around the poultry premises near Redgrave, mid-Suffolk has been merged with the 10km Surveillance Zone

7 March 2017
Updated because of removal of the Protection Zone restrictions at the third site near Pilling, Wyre, Lancashire.

3 March 2017
Following investigations into the case of H5N8 near Redgrave in Suffolk, we've detected the virus at a further separate premises and have confirmed that proactive culling of birds will take place. We've also added an updated link to guidance on bird flu and gamebirds.

3 March 2017
Updated because of removal of the final Surveillance Zone restrictions near Boston, East Lindsey, Lincolnshire.

1 March 2017
Updated the document covering rules on meat produced from poultry and farmed birds originating in PZs, with list of dates

1 March 2017
Updated because of removal of the final Surveillance Zone restrictions at two of the sites near Pilling, Wyre, Lancashire.

28 February 2017
Letter from Chief Vet to registered poultry keepers about the new rules added.

28 February 2017
New rules from 28 February are now in force; we have published an updated leaflet for keepers of backyard flocks and there's an updated legal declaration.

27 February 2017
Updated information on free range eggs and poultry.

27 February 2017
Updated because of removal of the Protection Zone restrictions at two of the sites near Pilling, Wyre, Lancashire.

24 February 2017
Updated with details of a new case confirmed at a farm near Haltwhistle, Northumberland.

24 February 2017
Updated rules for all poultry keepers under the Prevention Zone from 28 February.

22 February 2017
Updated as the PZ restrictions have now been lifted on the 26 January case near Boston, East Lindsey, Lincolnshire (SZ restrictions remain in place).

20 February 2017
Updated because the remaining Surveillance Zone restrictions around the case near Louth, East Lindsey, Lincolnshire (on which disease was confirmed on 16 January 2017) were removed from 00:01.

17 February 2017
We have published information about the background to the proposed Higher Risk Areas from 28 February 2017.

16 February 2017
Updated information about meat from poultry within a Protection Zone, including one extra general licence.

14 February 2017
Updated with declaration confirming the case near Redgrave, mid-Suffolk. We've also added a link to Welsh Government plans from 28 February 2017.

13 February 2017
Updated after a 10km Temporary Control Zone was imposed around a poultry premises near Redgrave, mid-Suffolk.

11 February 2017
Updated as the PZ restrictions have now been lifted on the 16 January case near Louth, East Lindsey, Lincolnshire (SZ restrictions remain in place). We've also updated General Licences EXD243 and EXD353.

9 February 2017
Added a link to arrangements in Scotland after 28 February 2017.

9 February 2017
Updated after removal of the Surveillance Zone restrictions in the Settle, North Yorkshire case.

8 February 2017
Updated with guidance about plans for Prevention Zone controls in England from 28 February 2017.

6 February 2017
Minor update following lifting of the SZ restrictions on the case in Wales on 4 February (details are available on the Welsh Government website).

2 February 2017
Updated to reflect a further proactive cull of about 280 birds at a further linked premises nearby to one of the cases near Pilling, Wyre, Lancashire.

31 January 2017
Updated to reflect changes in relation to the case near Settle, Yorkshire: the 3km PZ has been merged with the 10km SZ.

30 January 2017
Updated to reflect the 3rd case confirmed near Pilling, Wyre, Lancashire. New general licence added for movement of mammals from or to premises in the PZ or SZ where poultry or other captive birds are kept.

30 January 2017
Updated to reflect additional proactive culling of birds at the case identified on 27 January.

27 January 2017
Updated to reflect today's case in a flock of pheasants at a farm near Pilling, Wyre, Lancashire, together with editorial changes to make it easier to find information about current cases.

26 January 2017
Updated to cover the new case Boston, East Lindsey, Lincolnshire.

24 January 2017
Updated to reflect a new confirmed case in Lancashire.

18 January 2017
We've published an updated version of our detailed advice about how to house your birds and keep them separate from wild birds, and about extra biosecurity measures.

18 January 2017
Updated following lifting of the 10km Surveillance Zone (SZ) around the infected premises confirmed on 16 December 2016 near Louth, East Lindsey in Lincolnshire. However, the Protection Zone and Surveillance Zone for the new case declared on 16 January, which cover very similar areas, remain in force so anyone affected in this area is likely still to be covered by restrictions and should check our maps.

16 January 2017
A minor correction to today's declaration was published, together with minor editorial review of the remainder of this guide.

16 January 2017
Updated following the case of avian influenza H5N8 confirmed in a commercial turkey unit in East Lindsey, Lincolnshire.

13 January 2017
Updated with link to advice on rearing game birds and shooting whilst the Prevention Zone is in force.

13 January 2017
Clarified information around free range status under the Prevention Zone.

9 January 2017
Updated to reflect changes in controls around the case in Lincolnshire - the Protection Zone has been lifted, with Surveillance Zone controls remaining in place.

6 January 2017
Updated following a new case confirmed in Yorkshire.

6 January 2017
Updated Prevention Zone declaration, advice for keepers of backyard flocks, and updated general licences which also cover Wales.

4 January 2017
Updated following announcement that the prevention zone will be extended to 28 February 2017.

3 January 2017
Latest situation updated following confirmation of avian influenza in a backyard flock of chickens and ducks in Carmarthenshire, Wales.

8 December 2016
Information added about birds of prey, game birds and shooting in the Prevention Zones.

7 December 2016
Updates to background information, including the reasons for the controls, and bird fairs and gatherings, in the light of queries we've received.

7 December 2016
Updated information document on biosecurity and preventing disease in captive birds within a Prevention Zone, to address the situation in Scotland and Wales; also added information about backyard flocks, and free range status.

7 December 2016
Updated to include links to Prevention Zones now in place in Scotland and Wales.

6 December 2016
Updated information document on biosecurity and preventing disease in captive birds within a Prevention Zone,

6 December 2016
A Prevention Zone was declared on 6 December, requiring poultry keepers to keep chickens, hens, ducks and turkeys housed indoors or separate from wild birds; other captive birds must be kept separate from wild birds.

29 November 2016
Updated version of advice document "Biosecurity and preventing disease in captive birds" added - includes new information about the Animal and Plant Health Agency “testing to exclude” scheme, and updated advice on welfare surveillance.

25 November 2016
Updated the guidance on what to do if you find dead wild birds.

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